These chocolate crinkle cookies are fudgy on the inside with a crisp powdered sugar crackle cookie top! A classic sweet treat for the holidays or Christmas cookie trays.
A few other favorite cookie recipes for the holidays include Christmas sugar cookies, brownie mix cookies and red velvet cake mix cookies!
Table of Contents
Easy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
These chocolate crinkle cookies are a classic Christmas cookie that add the perfect dimension to any Christmas dessert board. The crinkly powdered sugar coating makes them festive and contrasts beautifully with the dark brown chocolate color.
I’ve been making this chocolate crinkle cookie recipe for several years now after getting it from a friend at a cookie exchange. We add it to holiday cookie plates along with snickerdoodle cookies, ginger molasses cookies, and cookies with Andes mints.
Ingredients Needed
Find the printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Oil: Vegetable oil adds a smooth, creamy texture. Similar to butter.
- Sugar: Use granulated sugar for sweetness and texture.
- Eggs: This binds the cookie dough together.
- Vanilla extract: It sounds crazy, but a small amount of vanilla will infuse the cookies immensely.
- Flour: Combines the dough and gives the cookie dough substance.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Use this for the chocolatey taste and color of the chocolate crinkle cookies.
- Baking powder: These cookies are thicker and fluffier than most. This baking powder and salt combination helps lift and rise the crinkle cookie dough while baking.
- Salt: This is similar to the vanilla and will enhance the flavors of the ingredients.
- Confectioners sugar: Roll the chocolate crinkle cookie dough in the powdered sugar to show the crinkles once the cookies are baked.
How to Make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together oil and sugar. Then add eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined.
- Dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients (except confectioners’ sugar) into a separate bowl and whisk. Slowly pour dry mixture into the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir. Chill dough in fridge for 15-30 minutes.
- Shape and roll. Shape dough into balls (about 1 1/2 inches each). Add confectioners’ sugar into a small bowl and roll each cookie in the sugar. Then place cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet
- Bake in oven. Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes, until cookies are slightly crisp around the edges and soft in the middle. Cool on the pan for 2 minutes, then move to a cooling wire rack.
Tips for the Best Crinkle Cookies
Easy chocolate crinkle cookies are always the first to go on the cookie plate and make a great contrast when you include this candy cane cookies recipe, too!
- Coat completely. When forming dough into balls, it’s key to completely cover them in powdered sugar for a good crackle top.
- Chill dough. Don’t forget to chill the dough for at least 15 to 30 minutes so that it’s not too sticky to roll in the sugar. This also helps thicken the texture.
- Consistency. I like my crinkle cookies a bit fudgy inside with a crisp edge, so I cook them closer to 8 minutes. If you’d like the centers more cake-like, cook them closer to 10 minutes and let sit longer on baking sheet.
- Simple and quick: Just follow my simple cake mix cookie recipe and then roll the cookie dough balls in powdered sugar before baking.
- Flavor: Instead of cocoa powder, try lemon crinkle cookies! For spiced crinkle cookies, add a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and a dash of cayenne.
- Freeze cookie dough. Wait to add the powdered sugar. Wrap dough with plastic wrap and then place in an airtight container. Thaw cookie dough in fridge, roll into balls and coat with powdered sugar before baking.
Do you love chocolate cookies?! Make German chocolate cookies, triple chocolate cookies or chocolate M&M cookies, too.
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Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Video
Equipment
- Cookie Sheet
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ cup confectioners sugar (more if needed)
Instructions
- Wet ingredients. Whisk together 1/2 cup oil and 2 cups sugar in a large bowl (or use a stand mixer). Add in 4 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla and whisk until well combined.
- Dry ingredients. Whisk together 2 cups flour, 1 cup cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a separate bowl. Slowly pour the flour mixture into the sugar mixture and stir until well combined. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Roll cookie balls in powdered sugar. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 1 1/2 inch balls (I liked to use a medium cookie scoop). Place confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl and roll each cookie in the sugar.
- Bake. Place cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cookies are slightly crisp around the edges and soft in the middle. Allow to cool on the pan for 2 minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack. Tip: If your cookies aren't cracking as much as you'd like, bang the pan on the stove right after they come out of the oven to crack the cookies.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Recipe FAQs
I prefer the soft and moist texture that vegetable oil gives these cookies, however you could swap the oil for butter if preferred. The texture may slightly change and you may find the powdered sugar dissolves some, but they will still be super delicious!
The consistency of this dough is definitely thicker and stickier than your standard cookie dough. But that’s what makes them so fudgy and delicious.
Before rolling, it helps to refrigerate the dough for at least 15 to 30 minutes so that it’s easier to work with. If it’s still really sticky, try chilling it a bit longer before shaping.
You probably didn’t coat the cookie dough balls in enough powdered sugar. They should be completely covered after rolling (you shouldn’t be able to see the dough at all). That way when they bake, they will get a good crackle as they spread.
Another tip for a nice crackle top is to bang the pan on the stove immediately after you remove them from the oven.
When ready to remove from the oven, the edges will be just slightly crisp however the centers will still look soft. You don’t want these cookies to brown or else they won’t be as soft and fudgy.
For fudgier centers, bake for about 8 minutes. For cakey centers, they’ll need about 10 minutes. Keep in mind that they will also set on the baking sheet for a few minutes afterwards and will continue to bake as they set.
This recipe for chocolate crinkle cookies will last for about 5 days if stored at room temperature in an airtight container. To freeze, cool completely and then add to an airtight container or freezer bag. They will keep in the freezer for a couple of months.
Categorized as: American, Chocolate, Chocolate Cookies, Christmas, Cookies, Desserts, Freezer-Friendly, Holiday Cookies, Kid-Friendly, Nut-Free, Vegetarian
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
These are phenomenal! I made them for the first time for my office Christmas cookie exchange – they were a hit. So much so that I was asked for the recipe, and of course shared your blog! Your blog has become my go-to site when I’m looking for something new and original – whether it be a meal or a sweet treat! My only issue was that I thought the dough was a bit sticky, but hey – they worked!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the chocolate crinkle cookies!
These cookies are so good! I found that dropping spoonfuls of the chilled dough directly in the powdery sugar and then forming a ball made it much easier to work with.
Great tip on the chocolate crinkle cookies! Glad you enjoyed them.
The cookie dough was very sticky but the cookie looks pretty and tastes delicious. Thanks for the recipe
So glad the chocolate crinkle cookies were delicous!
This dough is soooo soft. I put it in the fridge for a few hours because it was completely unworkable. Chilling it for longer did not help. It’s so sticky, it sticks to everything. I didn’t have a proper scoop so maybe it would work better but I’m not convinced it would be any better. Very stick, unworkable dough. The cookies do come out soft and fudgy but such a headache to get that far. Not a fan will try a different recipe next time.
Sorry to hear these didn’t turn out as intended. It is a more wet dough due to vegetable oil vs. butter in the cookies but shouldn’t turn out so unworkable you can’t roll into a cookie dough ball. Was your flour measurement correct?
It’s like a brownie and a cookie all in one- Loove!
I’m so happy you love the cookies!!
Made these for Christmas this year and they were a big hit! Everyone loved them. My granddaughter wants me to make another batch this week!
These came out so good!! my kids helped me and they absolutely love them. I did substitute the oil for butter, but they still came out perfect! Thanks for sharing!
I just tried it and the chilling part did exactly the tie specified and was soft. Put it in the freezer for 10 minutes and still soft. Just put the whole dough together in a square pan, sprinkled confection sugar and will see
OK, update to your recipe. I decided to use my remaining dough at room temp because it had a nice firm consistency already. I baked for 11 min. and now they are exactly as I wanted – more chewy inside and crisp on the edges. Many thanks for sharing this recipe with all of us. You have made my 42 yr old son so happy to have his favorite cookie back!!!!
That sounds great! Thanks for sharing your experience. I am so glad they are just how you and your son like them!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for finally giving me my long lost recipe for Chocolate Crinkles. I have been trying new recipes every day and they never tasted right until yours! Crisp on the edges and chewy on the inside. The powdered sugar did not get wet after baking either. I could not believe it after so many of the other recipes did unless you rolled in sugar first. I baked the 10 min. and they are perfect!!!
Yay! That is great to hear! I am so glad that you found this chocolate crinkle cookies recipe and love it! Win-win!
These are the best chocolate crinkle cookies ever. Consistently moist, chewy and just plain delicious.
Year after year I go to these as our favorites and just thr right batch size.
Oh my… I loved this cookie… and so did my family. Thanks, for the recipe.
So glad your family enjoyed the chocolate crinkle cookies :)
Can anybody tell me how many cookies does this recipe yield. Thank you
30 cookies :)
This recipe is fantastic! My mom made a version of these but hers were crisper in texture. I love the slightly crisp outside and super fudgy, soft inside of these cookies. Super easy to make and this is one keeper recipe!
So glad you enjoyed the chocolate crinkle cookies :D
Made these for my extended family and they reminded them of their late grandmas and they never got her recipe so it was amazing and they were gone pretty quick ❤️
Love that! Such special memories!
Crinkles are one of our favorite cookies. Aside from they’re easy to make, taste so good and fudgy. A family favorite. Thanks for this wonderful recipe Jamielyn, I’ll surely add these to our Christmas menu.
Perfect treats for Kids! Super delicious!
So glad to hear! Thanks for your review Cam :)